Star Lights
by SeveningTree
Summary: Their journey is in wading unknown worlds and facing enchanted beings, deep in the islands of Neverland. Through it all, Captain Hook and Emma Swan are together and apart, but they discover that together, they have something more powerful than any magic in the world.
1. Transition

**I can't believe I'm doing this, but here goes, the first instalment of my multi-chapter fic about our favourite swashbuckler and strong-willed blonde princess. I have it all planned out already. Yes, I have. Every. Single. Chapter. So hopefully everything goes smoothly! I _hope_ to update once every week. The writing will be tricky, because I'm not the expert in adventure stories, and I'm trying to incorporate humour where possible too. So I sincerely hope that this satisfies your curiosity on some level.**

**Some notes before you begin: They are awesome characters, but I've decided that Gold and Regina will not appear in this story even though they were on the Jolly Roger headed to Neverland. So take it as they did NOT go onto the ship, leaving just the four. I'm introducing new characters (*wink*), so I didn't want to make it overly cluttered with too many characters – this is about Hook and Emma after all. Also, this fic will NOT acknowledge _completely_ every single character that has been introduced by the show so far. So allow me some creative license yeah? Heh.**

**Okay enough of me talking. Let's proceed…**

* * *

_I._

_Transition_

This was really happening – there was no mistaking it.

Moments ago, the Jolly Roger sunk into a deep abyss of swirling sea water, the portal that was opened by the magic bean which Hook threw into the ocean. Emma was pretty certain from that point on that they should just arrive immediately, or at least _near_, where Neverland should be. They – wait, cross that – _she _needed to save her son. She considered herself quite a patient person, especially if she could endure a personality like the one Hook possessed. Also, she had seen many things in her lifetime, what with being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, so she really shouldn't be surprised. _Shouldn't._ But apparently there weren't enough things in the expanse of the universe to surprise her, so this really was one of them.

After the ship entered the portal and the sea closed up on them, they were somehow just… floating. In _darkness_. Emma didn't quite know how to comprehend this. She didn't feel confined to the laws of gravity; she felt this was space, even. Were they in a _vacuum_? Was that even possible? Where on earth did the ridiculous magic portal teleport them to? Was it even on earth? She couldn't really see anything, either – not her own body, not the ship which they were clutching onto just minutes ago. On that note, Emma couldn't even count how long she had been suspended in limbo. It felt like hours when it was really just minutes.

She couldn't talk, it seemed. She tried to speak, but nothing happened. She tried shouting then, which was even worse because everything about her senses were numb except for her sight. This idea of travelling between worlds seemed to get more and more complicated and tiring – why was it so hard just to get somewhere? She silently pleaded that this darkness would fade and that maybe, magically, her son would appear in front of her. She had felt horrible enough for leaving him when he was a baby, and then Neal, his father, was likely to be dead. Now, he was in danger, and she believed it was her fault. It was her fault all over again, and she had failed. _Failed_. She partly wished she had magical powers to bring him back to her, but she didn't, and horridly all the people she knew who harnessed those abilities were either dead or relatively evil.

_This had really better not be some kind of reincarnation of my nightmares playing in front of me_, Emma thought, willing herself to imagine some sort of world that looked like Neverland, so that maybe if she imagined it then she would end up there somehow. With everyone gone from her sight as well, she wondered where each of them were, and what they were doing. Hook was standing right in front of her when they were on that vessel, and there's no way he disappeared to some other land – there's no way one other of them magically _vanished_ into thin air.

But being Emma, she started contemplating the what ifs. What if this, what if that. She was mainly worried about Henry all over again, and she started worrying even more about the fact that everyone else with her on the ship was gone.

Until, out of nowhere, a very bright light appeared, growing from a tiny dot until it enveloped the whole of her, and she felt her eyes close automatically at the sight. Within nanoseconds, she appeared back onto the Jolly Roger – well, _somewhat._

It was freezing, cold, water. And she was inside it. The ship was on the ocean floor, sunken as though it was shipwrecked right to the bottom of the sea, and the first person she saw when she opened her eyes to swim was Hook, swimming right in front of her, gesturing with his hands for her to close her mouth and to hold on to some rope. This was possibly the most bizarre experience she ever had to endure – she began to question if Neverland really was what she thought it would be, even though she had just imagined the place to be as dark and frightening as the tales she was told about this strange land.

Oddly, it was comforting to be greeted by Hook's blue eyes looking bluer in the midst of the turquoise seas they were swimming in.

_Just the shock_, she told herself, _the man's helping you._

And indeed he was – he used his hook to latch himself to the steel chain that was wrapped around the central post of the ship mast and he used his right hand to hold out a rope for her to grab, which she did. She felt the ship magically rise from the ocean floor, everyone on board holding on tight. She glanced around and saw Mary Margaret holding on to the sideboard with David. They were all half-swimming and half-standing on the deck. The Jolly Roger rose faster and faster from the bottom of the deep sea until it launched itself out of the ocean very abruptly, and Emma, losing her balance, tumbled right into Hook; and Hook, who lost his hold on the chain upon the ship being flung out of the ocean, barrelled with Emma until his back slammed into the wooden steps leading up to the helm of the ship.

_OOF. OW! Arghhh! Oooh_, Hook let out in the process.

"So let me guess – you couldn't find your footing, that's why you had to fling yourself into my arms yet again, though of course this time you decided to take it one step further and roll around with me on my ship while being drenched," Hook remarked cheekily, still lying on his back with Emma on top of him.

She raised her head and looked at him pointedly in the eye, her golden locks fully wet, plastered to her forehead and completely unladylike. A normal lady would look utterly atrocious in that manner, but Hook couldn't find himself thinking anything other than that Emma looked hugely appealing to him, even when she was dripping in sea water.

"This is not the time to be making jokes," Emma commented seriously, trying to get off Hook without falling down again – she really wasn't feeling steady after what just happened with her suspended in a black hole and then suddenly swimming in the middle of an ocean. "Where in the world are we?"

"Such a damper on the mood, love," Hook replied, his usual grin on his face. Emma glared at him, finally standing, attempting to squeeze water out of her clothes without letting Hook have an eyeful of her undergarments. She couldn't feel totally annoyed with him though, because she was more concerned about their whereabouts. The ship was moving, and she looked beyond, trying to see if she could make anything out. At the moment they were just heading into a thick bout of mist, and she really couldn't see much. Weirdly, the sun was shining very brightly and she was grateful that it would dry up her clothes soon enough.

_First day on a ship together and we're physically colliding_, Emma muttered to herself. _Great start._

She glanced at Hook and saw him removing his coat and vest, his silver hook glinting in the rays of sunlight peeking through the thick white clouds above them. She found herself thinking that she now couldn't figure him out a hundred percent, which frustrated her. Yes, she could tell when he was telling the truth and when he was not, but aside from that she didn't understand why he was being so kind to help her. He really didn't have to come back to offer his ship and his services. Well, they'd have the problem of finding a ship and someone to captain it and sail it for them, but they would find another way if they had to. Heck, _she _would find a different solution if she had to – that's who she was, and that was what she always did. She would find ways when people said there were none. So if she didn't _have_ Hook with her, she wouldn't die and despair. But somehow he made a decision to return. That puzzled her more than anything he'd done or said to her before, because it seemed to her like he was nearly a different person when he had come to aid her in this journey.

No doubt, he was Captain Hook, so if the fairytale stories she knew about Neverland were just a little bit right, he would have the knowledge of getting around the area better than anyone else she knew. But aside from being the Hook that she knew and had come to know, she believed that there was another side to him that she had yet to discover. She wasn't quite able to put her finger on it, but she knew there was a whole other life he had – being over 300 years old – and that made him the somewhat arrogant, egoistical, self-protective, reckless maniac that he was today. What she really wanted to know was the reasons for his decision so that she could find an even footing with him. She had no choice; if they were doing this together, she had to know him better. She didn't think she could trust him that easily, not when they had each betrayed each other more than once already. It wasn't really that she didn't want to allow him room to redeem himself – far be it. He was a scoundrel, but somehow at the moment he didn't _feel_ as villainous as he did to her before. He wasn't exactly wicked by any means, but that didn't mean he suddenly transformed his hardened heart either.

Hook felt her eyes on him as he walked up to the wheel and retrieved his gold telescope, peeking through the lens. He knew exactly where they were. He just didn't want to say anything just yet. What would be the point? They knew where they were meant to head towards, and that's exactly where they nearly were. The portal had been true to form – although he was fairly certain he didn't remember going through the ocean before. The weather was looking beautiful for now, but he was sure it wouldn't be long before darkness would descend.

Emma glanced over at David and Mary Margaret, who were also drying themselves off, apparently also trying to get a sense of where they had ended up. David walked over to her, determination and concern marked clearly on his face.

"Emma, are you alright?" he asked, seeing the look on her face of wariness and worry.

Emma looked at David, nodding abruptly. "I'm fine. We just need to find out where we are. Hook, where are we?" She raised her voice loudly, intent on making progress on their journey. There was no time to waste. There were lives at stake – her _son's _life at stake. There were many things and people she had lost in her life, but she wasn't losing Henry, and he wasn't losing her. Not him, not on her watch and not on her life.

Hook turned to her at the sound of her voice calling his name, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Where are we, you ask?" he repeated. "Well, if my knowledge serves me right, I believe we should be a mere hour or two away from the borders of Neverland."

She looked at him, eyebrow raised. "How do you know that? I don't see anything around that tells me we're near there. In fact, aside from this mist we're sailing through, I'd say we're heading to some exotic tropical island, but from what Gold has told me about this place–"

"–it isn't some summer holiday and building sandcastles in the sand," Hook finished for her, his expression dark and serious, his eyes looking distant yet a touch violent. "Aye, the coward is right for once. It does not have that sort of atmosphere at all."

"Then what is it like?" Mary Margaret asked, jumping into the conversation.

"Wait," Emma cut in. "I want to know whether you're sure we're headed towards Neverland. It's not the first time we'd end up lost someplace else."

They were all standing near the wheel of the Jolly Roger, and Emma was facing Hook, one hand on the wooden rail. Hook shifted his gaze to her in response to her statement, and walked toward her. "You still don't trust me? Not after what I've done for you?"

"What you've done for me?" Emma questioned sarcastically. "What _exactly _do you think you've so nobly done for me? Well, aside from the fact that you–"

"–came back," Hook finished for her again. "That's right, lass. _I came back. _For _you_," he drawled, voice low and deep. "I _offered_ my help. I let you use _my ship_. To save _your _son."

He was directly in front of her, his hook lightly grazing her arm. She could feel it through the fabric of her long-sleeved shirt, and she swallowed, momentarily looking away in admission to his correction of her flippant remark. She gathered her wits and turned back to look him in the eye. That was, grudgingly, an unnecessary comment on her part. She shouldn't have to mock him like that, especially since he was helping her, trying to be particularly gentlemanly with her.

_Stupid Hook. One moment a foolish untrustworthy blithering madman, another moment a debonair gentleman who speaks sense_, she thought in frustration.

"Why then?" she spoke up, not backing down. Their faces were inches from each other, typical Hook who had no comprehension of personal space whatsoever. "_Why_ did you come back to help me? Tell me the reason why you came back."

There was actually no time, and at the back of her head Emma knew that these sorts of questions were, though important to her, irrelevant at this point. They needed to get to Neverland as quick as possible in order to search for Henry. She had no idea what they wanted with him, and it could mean all sorts of horrible outcomes. But he brought it up. And she indirectly caused him to bring it up.

He paused at her question. There was too long a story to tell, too many things she didn't know about him, too many unexplained events and too many answers to be given. He couldn't tell her yet. Not now, and he wasn't sure if he ever could tell her everything – about how his life was connected to hers, how he regretted the things he had done. She wasn't ready to hear him out, and this was far from being the right time and place to reveal his past.

He could sense the heavy stares of David and Mary Margaret on them, and he stared back at Emma, making a decision to give her the most honest yet short reply he could produce. His face remained cold, refusing to give her an opening into his mind as much as he could. Sure, he knew she could read him well, but she wasn't a mind-reader, and she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

"I came back because I made the mistake of leaving a little boy behind once. I regret my decision, and am helping you do this instead of repeating the errors I previously committed," he whispered harshly. It was the simple truth in two sentences.

She looked back into his eyes, and she knew he was not lying. There was hurt and pain reflected from the grey irises focusing on her, and she understood that there was a lot more to his story.

"Good that you had a change of heart then," she said to him solemnly. "I just– I can't trust someone so easily. Trust takes time."

"But you don't have time, do you, love?" he asked dauntingly. He gestured to their surroundings. The ship was moving smoothly across the peaceful seas, the mist still swirling around them. "We're headed to a place only _I _know how to navigate, and we're arriving in less than an hour, if my count is right. In fact, because I've been gone so long, goodness knows what else is in store for us now. Neverland is _enchanted_, more so than any place you've ever come across. Your son is trapped somewhere there, for a reason we don't know of. Four of us are _without_ magic, going to a place _with_ magic. I'd say if you want to bank your trust somewhere, my account would be the wisest choice – without which you would otherwise be very likely to perish before you even take ten steps onto the island."

He spelled it all out for her, and she almost hated him for it. Such _logic _he knew how to weave when he needed to. She knew he was right, and he knew it too. She looked over at David and Mary Margaret, who overheard the entire conversation and were waiting on Emma's call. She couldn't find it in herself to depend on Hook, because she wasn't the type of person who depended on others. She was a warrior, and she was used to leading, not following. She felt _weak_ having to rely on Hook, if ever, and if at all. But she had no choice.

"Fine," she released, gritting her teeth. "I trust you to lead us and find Henry. But you'd better _keep to every single word you say _or you _will_ pay for it."

Hook hovered over Emma and considered her words for a moment or two, then gave her a flirty wink. The tension in the air dissipated between them. "Aye," he acknowledged, then turned from her and returned back to the helm where David and Mary Margaret were standing.

"I don't suppose the two of you need to be enlightened about our plans?" he asked them, a grin on his face. "Your daughter was speaking loud enough for you, I gather."

David had a look of suppressed irritation on his face, grunting at Mary Margaret and Emma. "Don't try to mess around with me, Hook – unless you enjoy my fist connecting hard with your pink cheeks, of course."

"Honestly, I'd have to sa–" Hook began, ready to unleash another witty line.

"This is hardly the time for bickering!" Emma stopped Hook, putting a hand on his arm warningly. "We need a plan of action. We need to have an expectation of what's going to happen, because it's going to be dangerous–"

But she was cut off by the sound of the waves raging very suddenly around them, the motion rocking the Jolly Roger very unpleasantly without notice; and they all reached out to grab something to hold on to. The mist parted, white wisps descending upon them, until it revealed beyond, a number of rock formations, and even further ahead, the main island of Neverland, with small isles surrounding it. They were headed right towards the middle of two very tall rock formations, towering over them. Everyone was silent, Emma taking in the environment around her and thinking about how they were going to find Henry in a place like this. It was evening, and the sun was still in the sky, but would set very soon.

Then the unexpected happened. As the ship began to sail between the rock formations, it penetrated a large unseen shield covering the areas of Neverland. The ship seemed to sail right through it, but at the last second, the shield rebounded. The Jolly Roger remained untouched, but four of them were thrown out of the ship to different parts of the island, almost immediately. It was almost as though the shield were another portal, but it wasn't; it merely teleported them directly onto the islands.

Emma landed with her body face down, hands dug into coarse sand. She had a sensation whereby it felt as though she had just been dropped down from the sky. She looked up, but didn't see anyone. She got up quickly, brushing the sand off her clothes. This _had _to be Neverland; they just saw the same sun about to set in the sky. Her breaths were rushed and she called out the first name she thought of.

"HOOK!" she shouted, realising for the first time that she_ really_ depended on him. This was ridiculous. How could they be separated like this? And to think, she had just _agreed_ to letting him lead them through Neverland – and now he was gone.

She walked along what looked like a small beach, calling out for Mary Margaret and David now. She started running because desperation kicked in, and there was no way she could survive for long on her own. She had no idea where she was, which part of Neverland this was. She saw the figure of Mary Margaret lying at the other end of the beach and momentary relief flooded her system instantly.

"Mary!" Emma cried out, turning Mary Margaret's body around. Her mother stirred, and eyes fluttered open, much to Emma's happiness. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay."

"Emma," Mary Margaret mumbled softly, sitting up slowly. "Ah, that hurts. What happened? Are we on Neverland?"

Emma scanned the area cautiously, her vision setting on the sun and the sky which she knew was the exact same colour when they sailed between the rocks. The sky was painted with colours of indigo, soft pink and crimson red. It was starkly beautiful, but Emma had a feeling of dread creep up on her, and everything didn't seem as inviting as it looked anymore.

"I'm pretty sure this is Neverland. But I have no idea where Hook and David are, or how we got off the ship," she spoke quietly, another weight falling on her shoulders.

* * *

**There you have it. I assure you that in the next chapter you will find out a teeny bit more about what's going on – there will always be _some_ development on Hook and Emma's relationship too.**

**But for now, could you pleeeaase REVIEW? I promise that if you overload me with feedback, I will give you huge hugs and thank you forever (and maybe make Hook take off not just his vest and coat, but more items… although if you're interested in that now, you can check out my one-shot, ahaha!).**


	2. Separation

**Thank you, kindly, to those of you who reviewed, favourited and followed this story – encouragement always helps! This chapter may not be too lighthearted (a bit more angsty than usual), but don't worry, things will get better… soon!**

**Meanwhile, do read and enjoy!**

* * *

_II._

_Separation_

Pain.

_OUCH. That hurt just a little bit. What WAS that thin– AH! Not again._

Someone was jabbing him in the stomach, and Hook didn't quite know why. It felt like the tip of a sword. It could have very well been the tip of a sword, a dagger, whatever it was that made his body jerk uncomfortably at the sudden pain. But wait, why couldn't he fight back? Everything felt very hazy, and he didn't feel very good. He didn't feel quite himself.

Wait, was that someone calling his name?

"–OOK!"

It was a man's voice. Definitely male.

"–ET UPPP!" the sound echoed loudly, and he felt light enter his sight. His eyelids slowly opened, seeing red hues in the setting sky above him.

David was kneeling beside Hook, having taken Hook's sword out of its sheath on his belt, and used it to jab Hook in the stomach to wake him up. After being magically thrown out of the ship and fallen down onto the main island of Neverland, David awoke, finding his companion Mary Margaret and his daughter Emma gone. He looked up, and right beside him lay an unconscious Hook, heart alive and beating after checking his pulse.

He had been incredibly aggravated at the situation, but immediately jumped up to find a way to wake the heavy pirate up. After resorting to several slaps on the face and near-punches, David realised the only way was to inflict proper pain on Hook's nerves – his _literal_ nerves. Of course, David would never have wanted to bother helping this man he considered a sneaky, dishonest thief, but he knew as well as a sane person did that Hook was his best option at getting around the island. He needed some back-up if he was going to try finding his way, and two men were certainly better than one. He was definitely aware of the dangers that lay ahead, though many of which he realised were unknown to him, and most likely with magical powers.

Hook's eyes finally flitted open, and when it did, he instantly sat up in slight shock, took in his surroundings, and turned to David, a confused look on his face.

"What just happened?" Hook asked, fully awake and aware now. "Why are you jabbing me with _my _sword?"

"I was trying to wake you up," David said, groaning. "You were unconscious. We got off your ship – although I have no idea how that happened. Do you?"

Hook took his sword back from David, stood, and gazed beyond at the sea – they were on the rocky shores of Neverland. There were huge stone boulders around, and the rock formations they crossed minutes ago looked small to the eye, as they were incredibly far away. Hook was silent for a moment, thinking how they got off his ship – and where _was _his ship?

He looked at David, brows furrowed and forehead lined with concern. "I have no record in my memory of this ever happening before. I assure you, that was the first time I have experienced being magically teleported off my boat and onto the island – and I had sailed the seas of Neverland a great many times previously."

"Brilliant," David muttered. "So that must be some magic then."

"Aye, that was definitely magic," Hook answered with grave seriousness. "Could have been a shield of some sort. I sense that the magic in the land has gotten much darker and more powerful than before."

"That means Mary Margaret and Emma have been thrown out somewhere else in Neverland then," David theorised, doing his best to stay calm despite the thoughts in his mind playing out all the different situations of his family being in danger, with the two women in his life all by themselves. "I don't see them here, and they can't be dead for no reason."

"No, indeed they should not be," Hook agreed. "If we're alive, they are as well. It is a matter of finding where they are – if no one else finds them first."

David eyed Hook at his statement, worry etched on every line on his face. "No one will find them first," he growled, resolving to find his loved ones as soon as possible. "We will find them, band together, then find Henry together."

"Wasn't the mission to find the babe, though?" Hook asked sceptically. "I'm not saying they are not of importance, but if I may say so, the young lad could be on his own, while I'm fairly certain that your partner and of course, the ever strong Swan, will be able to handle themselves."

Hook found himself contemplating the situation Emma would be in, given that the four of them were now separated from each other. He imagined she would feel incredibly aggravated by the fact that he had magically disappeared when she had just forced herself to let him lead them in their quest. He chuckled a little at that, strangely eager to see her annoyed look – that expression he came to find somewhat adorable. He then realised that no matter how he tried to comically view their situation, danger could be lurking behind any corner, what with the Lost Ones around. He didn't even have time to inform her about them. However, despite the nagging feelings of genuine concern for the golden-haired warrior princess, he toughened up and let out a sharp huff, choosing to believe that she would be safe because she was smart, sturdy and stealthy. Besides, no beautiful butt-kicking girl he knew was as determined and driven as she – and if there was one thing he learnt about Emma Swan from the first time he glanced at her, it was that she was not to be messed with.

David sighed heavily and exasperatedly, knowing that it was a tough decision – but he was always one to believe that together, they would be more effective than if they were apart. He wanted to find his grandson, but Mary Margaret and Emma could be in trouble as well.

"We need to start moving first. We'll see what happens along the way," David ended up saying, grabbing a thick, old wooden branch lying between the rocks, deciding it would be a good temporary weapon. "You wouldn't have an extra sword, would you?" he asked grudgingly.

"Only this one, I'm afraid," Hook answered, patting the sword that was back in place, hanging from his belt. "There _are _more, but we need to find my ship. In any case, we're going to encounter magical creatures, so your mind is your greatest weapon for the time being. Swords won't kill them, but your mind can."

"Alright," David steeled up, ready to move on. The sun was setting behind them, and it wouldn't be long before night would arrive. "Let's get going."

"Hold on a moment – let me have a think on which way we should go," Hook paused, kneeling on the rocks and imaging the map of Neverland in his head.

"Wait. Which part of Neverland are we on?" David inquired.

Hook took another glance at their surroundings, then gave a little smirk. "Well, O Prince, we are at the very least on the right side of Neverland," he revealed. "This is just a walk away from the Pirate's Cove."

"The Pirate's Cove?" David repeated warily, his blue eyes alert.

"Aye," Hook affirmed, a confident grin on his lips. "And if we're fortunate, the Jolly Roger could be smart enough to have sailed there on its own."

"How do you know that? Ships can't sail by themselves and know exactly where to go," David asked sceptically.

Hook cocked his eyebrow and smirked. "Ah, but this is _Neverland_," he stated. "Ships know their way around, dark magic lies in the earth and good fairies are hard to find. Most of all, you _never _know what can happen."

* * *

The sky was now a dark orange, akin to the shades Emma absolutely despised because it reminded her of evil pumpkins – the nightmares she used to have as a child during Halloween. The blazing ball of fire that was the sun was half dipped in the horizon. She and Mary Margaret were scrambling to find a place to spend the night because they had come to the conclusion that moving around in the dark was possibly a death sentence. So far they were fortunate to not have encountered any creature of any form, but Emma consciously felt that there were many pairs of eyes on them the whole time. Soon they would be embedded in total darkness, and Emma didn't want to make a fire or any source of light that would attract attention – so she and Mary Margaret were climbing trees, as high as they could go, in order to settle somewhere far above, where the moon would hopefully be bright enough to be their light source.

Eventually they settled on sitting on the bough of a very thick tree branch which connected two very tall and old trees, and the branches above them were separated in such a way that light would fall through to allow at least some vision. Emma realised she was not going to get much sleep; she couldn't when she was in fact worried sick about how Henry could ever survive in a place like this. It was enough to be anxious about their current surroundings; what more to contemplate the life of her own son, not to mention Hook and David as well. She had guessed that some form of magic must have cast them out of the ship onto the island, and she hoped that the two men were also on the same island – which meant that all they had to do was find each other.

_More easily said than done_, Emma thought, frowning. _This jungle is dense. It will take too long._

"Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, settling on the same branch, leaning against the tree trunk. They were a good twenty feet off the ground, high up and obscured by the shadows of leaves and tree branches all around them. The sun had now set, and bluish hues now covered them.

Emma looked at Mary Margaret, face lined with a mixture of tiredness and tenacity. "Yeah? Everything okay?" She shifted in her own spot on the wood, trying to be as comfortable as possible.

"No, how can it be?" Mary Margaret answered very honestly, returning Emma's gaze with a sad and sympathetic expression. "Henry's my grandson, and he's been kidnapped to this menacing place, which is inhabited by beings we've got no idea of, we're also stuck here, David's gone…"

"And Hook," Emma automatically added, a touch of sourness entering her voice.

Mary Margaret nodded. "And Hook," she repeated, considering the thoughts Emma were having at the present time, noting the hint of frustration there.

"Are you… are you upset that Hook's not here?" she continued, remembering that they were all banking on Hook to guide them around the island.

"No, of course not," Emma instantly replied, then stopped herself short, her conflicting emotions of belief and doubt bubbling beneath the surface. "Well, I mean– it's just– I can't believe Henry's captured somewhere here in Neverland, and that for some _stupid other-worldly reason_ we get _separated _from David and Hook, and Hook, well, he made that _annoyingly convincing and logical_ speech about how he was our best bet and blah blah blah, but now he's not _here with us_, and I honestly feel like we could get ambushed at any second–"

"_Emma_," Mary Margaret voiced, touching her arm lightly. "I know. I feel that way too, but we have to believe it's all going to be okay."

"_How_?" Emma asked, still frowning and exasperated. She was trying to be calm about things; she really was. "For the first time in my life since meeting Hook, I actually _want _him to be here and am _mad _partially because he's not. Doesn't that show how desperate our situation is?"

Mary Margaret released a tiny smile, one that only Emma could recognise from knowing her for some time. "It's not a bad thing to want _his _help, Emma," she said, understanding her daughter's perspective. "He's… not the worst – not anymore."

"I really don't need his help, really," Emma reconsidered. "We can very well survive and find Henry _without_ him, even though destiny or magic or whatever it is separates us."

"You don't hate him that much, you know," Mary Margaret clarified for her. "Of course we can try to find Henry on our own. But you depended on Hook for help, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"I never said I hated him," Emma muttered. "I'm just taking out my frustration on him right now so I won't be continuously wondering about what's happened to Henry."

Mary Margaret sighed, but took Emma's hand and gave her a proper smile, one that exuded faith and optimism. "Henry is as smart as you are, if not smarter," she stated. "For our sake, I have to believe he is alright. _We _have to believe that. For all we know, at this time, David and Hook are looking for us so we can all find Henry together."

"Yeah, that's because you and David always find each other, or David always finds you," Emma returned. "But Hook? Who knows whether he's decided to run off and abandon us."

"Do you really doubt him to that extent?" Mary Margaret asked. "Even after he told you why he came back to help?"

Emma breathed in and out for a moment or two, considering the question. "No, but he's a pirate. And pirates can't be trusted. I should know. I was a thief once."

"But he has come back to help you," her mother said. "And he always comes back to you. Surely you've noticed – that even amid the similar nature of distrust both of you have towards each other, he catches up to you even if you leave him behind."

"Why are you taking note of Hook and all this?" Emma asked, curious all of a sudden.

"I observe, Emma. I always do. And I see things plainly, often as most people don't," Mary Margaret answered. "If you realise, I didn't object when we agreed to following Hook's lead. If I didn't agree to it, I would've said something. But I do believe he's had a change of heart."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that I believe Hook was genuine in saying that he came back because he wanted to help you," Mary Margaret finally said. "It's fair to question his motives, but did you think he was lying when he revealed his reasons for helping? You should know; you can tell when someone's lying to you or not."

"No, he wasn't lying," Emma breathed, her voice softening. "I just don't understand why he would come back for me– I mean, _to help_ me. Sure, this may make him feel better about himself, but I'm sure he can find a thousand more ways to feel good about himself. He doesn't strike me as someone who would sacrifice his life and security just to _help _someone."

"True," Mary Margaret responded. "But maybe he can be."

That was enough to silence Emma for a few seconds, her eyes widening slightly in recognition that there was a slight chance she could be wrong about the pirate captain. Her efforts at trying to be distracted from any thoughts about Henry had resulted in her reflecting on her relationship with the often infuriating man whom she had come to know. He really was unlike any man in the sense that no male in her life, both past and present, had ever irritated her as much as he could. He would send her on rollercoasters of furious emotions, when one moment she would undermine him and the next moment he would do the exact same thing back to her. She kept her icy cool façade when he was around, but inside she was fiery and fearless. He just really unsettled her because she never had to try figuring out a man like him. She could always figure people out – it was her skill, her gift. She had him figured out at the start, but his strange slight alteration in behaviour made her eager to know more about him, and it was all the more because she knew there was more to his story.

_I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself._

_Maybe I just needed reminding that I could._

She really shouldn't care about him, but one thing she had slowly come to realise that she did care, even if she tried her hardest not to. How could she not, when the man kept showing up around her? He was everywhere she was, and she kept trying to keep him at bay but he always invaded her space. For the first time since she met the hook-handed pirate, she found herself wishing he was around, if only because she _did _believe that he was able to help her find Henry in this unknown land.

"Let's hope you're right," Emma eventually said to her mother.

Mary Margaret gave her a small smile, letting the sounds of the forest and the distant crashes of the ocean waves linger around them. Night was upon them, and the moon was as bright as they had hoped, allowing them just enough light to vaguely see each other's faces. It was nearly impossible to see beyond the space between them – the rustling of the tree branches around them from the growing night breeze made both of them very alert despite how exhausted they might have been. They talked softly from time to time throughout the night, Emma attempting to make a weapon in the moonlight from multiple sizes and lengths of wood which she found. She asked her mother to rest, knowing that because she wouldn't be able to sleep, at least one of them should. Mary Margaret eventually dozed off, her head resting on the sturdy tree trunk, leaving Emma lost in her thoughts about her son, Hook, and Neverland.

* * *

On the shores of Neverland where Emma and Mary Margaret had originally arrived, the Lost Ones were gathered, five of them sneering at each other in the light of the blazing fire in the middle of their circle. One of them spoke as the others settled down.

"It appears we have visitors," he announced, voice low and dangerous. "And they're somewhere on the island."

"Wouldn't it be that couple who–" another Lost One spoke up.

"_No_, they left," the first one interrupted. "There are other people. We have to find them, because you know what _he _says – it's going to be _playtime_ for them if they try to take the boy away."

He gave an evil grin, and the rest of them snickered in unison, preparing their gear to search for the unwelcome strangers.

"More importantly," the Lost One continued viciously. "We _will not _disappoint _him_, for the boy holds the key to _his _plans, and _his _plans _never _fail."

* * *

**Alright, so I know that it's bad because they're separated now and all… but _remember _that this story is about their journey both together and apart. Anyway there is progress, and there will always be some progress in each chapter! Bear with me, we're getting to the juicier parts of the plot in the next chapter, I promise!**

**Review, pretty please!**


	3. Acquaintance

**Thanks for the very helpful and constructive feedback which I received from your reviews! This chapter brings more to the table, so from here on things will be more happening.**

**Enjoy reading.**

* * *

_III._

_Acquaintance_

It was dead into the night. The moon was glowing brightly, and the stars lit the skies but were often obscured by the thick formation of grey clouds. The wind blew swiftly from time to time, causing the clouds to move and spurring a rather creepy atmosphere.

Hook poked his head out from beneath a large rock, looking to see if the night was ever going to give way to day.

"Stop doing that," David voiced in a commanding tone, feeling sleepy but unwilling to fall asleep. He and Hook were taking refuge in the midst of the many rocky and stony growths near the shore. They were enormous, large enough to hide people, and there were many cracks and openings. So the two men picked a space between two giant rocks to sit and rest for the night. The seawater washed softly beneath their boots, making the air damp and salty.

Hook sat back down and turned towards David, sighing. "Around seven hours that we've been together and you still want to fight?"

"I'm not fighting," David said dryly. "You've been poking your head out of our hiding spot more than four times in the past hour and it's highly annoying – not to mention you're giving away the fact that we're _hiding_."

Hook rolled his eyes then shrugged. He was just really impatient about the fact that they were stuck, having to rest before going further. He really believed that the Jolly Roger was nearby, and he was absolutely sure that the Pirate's Cove wasn't far at all. Of course, after they had walked about two hours and not yet found the ship, David began to doubt the validity of Hook's confident statement that his ship could have sailed on its own to the Cove, and that it was so easy to find it. He really wanted to, instead, perhaps, find Mary Margaret and Emma – or even just find Henry. But Hook insisted that the Jolly Roger couldn't be far (mainly because it was impossible to consider that the ship could have disappeared into thin air), and they needed some supplies, otherwise they really wouldn't survive for long, so David had reluctantly agreed to finding the vessel first. It was when they spied a different boat on the ocean some ways away, and realised it was the Lost Ones that they scrambled to find a place to hide. In other circumstances, Hook wouldn't have been afraid at showing his face to the ruthless kidnappers, but he couldn't – not when David was with him, and not when he was there to find the very person they were likely guarding. So they had to stay hidden, at least until near-dawn, where the Lost Ones were more expected to be resting somewhere inside the forest of Neverland.

David was swimming in his thoughts about how to ensure they were going to accomplish saving Henry, ensuring each other's safety, and leave Neverland. He was normally one who truly believed at achieving the impossible and the expert at finding his loved ones – and he did believe, but he hated having to wait to find them, which was, precisely, similar to the aggravated emotions Hook was feeling at having to act somewhat cowardly because only one of them had a sword and it wouldn't be enough to fight against the Lost Ones (or any other creature, for that matter).

"I dislike having to wait," Hook eventually revealed, his voice deep and forced. It did occur to him that he had put himself in some very sticky situations the moment he agreed to help Emma Swan on her quest to find her son. He wanted to help her because yes, he regretted the mistake he previously made when he turned Baelfire over to the Lost Ones in Neverland all those years ago. And to think, it was now Baelfire's _son _– who was also _Emma's son _– who was now trapped in Neverland as well. For some reason, he felt that it would help him find closure with honouring Milah and her desire to one day have a united, happy family. But more than that, Hook realised that he came back – not to save himself or the people in Storybrooke, but he came back because of _her. Emma Swan. _He came back thinking that he couldn't abandon _her_. He couldn't repeat the errors he committed before in his life, so many times where he abandoned people he shouldn't have.

He wasn't going to do that anymore, even though it struck him that it would likely cost him. He so deeply fought against his better judgment, but this time it won him over. And it was because of Emma Swan, princess of the forest. She was right about so many things when it came to him – and _darn it_, why did she have to be _so right_ about him?

_You and I. We understand each other._

And she was right. They did. It was this reinforcement that echoed in his mind whenever he thought of her, and of the connection he shared with this woman who had such passion and purpose in everything she did. Some alarm bells were ringing in his head at certain times, warning him that he was falling into a deep hole if he chose to pursue her. She clearly wasn't interested in him – well, not really; if she did feel anything towards him, it was far from obvious, because he really couldn't tell. And since when did he have the right to consider her as someone he could pursue anyway? As far as he knew, Baelfire could still be alive, no matter if he fell through a portal while wounded. Nothing was guaranteed, and that meant that the man could step right back into Emma's life and just like that all his whimsical fantasies would be just that – _fantasies._

_Stop being such a slob,_ he scolded himself mentally. _No time to consider such women. This isn't about her. It's just about helping. HELPING._

"No one likes to wait," David spoke, snapping Hook out of his internal monologue. "But we don't have a choice, so let's just cooperate in keeping our heads low and out of firing range."

"Lighten up, mate," Hook retorted, preventing their conversation from turning into an argument. "I'm not trying to pick a fight. You can use your fist against me, but it's not going to do you any good."

"I already told you," David returned. "I'm _not your mate_."

Hook shook his head, sighing heavily yet again. "I truly can't comprehend how men like you can get so uptight. I honestly believe that even your daughter isn't as uptight as you are, and she's a _woman_."

"Is that meant to be an insult?" David asked, eyebrows lifted. "My _entire family _is in danger. I have more than _reason _enough to feel worried about them when I can't do much at the moment. Clearly you wouldn't understand what that feels like."

Hook winced a little at his last sentence, experiencing a brief burst of pain in his heart. He knew David didn't intend to offend him, but it hurt anyway. His cold gaze looked away from the blond man across from him and he managed a low chuckle.

"I may not have an actual family, because my father abandoned me when I was a child," he divulged, deciding to make this Prince Charming understand _his _perspective. "But I have experienced moments where I am helpless to do anything but watch bad things happen to the people I love. So _in fact_, I _do _understand what it feels like."

David searched Hook's face, as though trying to peer through the persona the pirate portrayed. He didn't have to try to understand this captain, really, because it was of no consequence to him, but somehow he became intrigued at finding out his unknown history. David also had to concede that so far he didn't sense that Hook was going to betray him or leave him to fend for himself, but being the cautious man that he was, he wasn't going to open up to Hook that easily.

"You? Helpless? And in love?" David asked, almost incredulously.

"Even the seemingly most vengeful of people have been in love once before," Hook remarked. "Love makes people do crazy things. _You _should know."

David paused, considering Hook's thoughtful statement, then nodded shortly. "True. But the problem is that some people like that never open their heart up to love again."

Strangely, a flitting image of Emma crossed his mind when David mentioned that, causing Hook to divert his eyes and swallow hard. "Well, you never know."

* * *

There was light. Chirping sounds filled her ears, and Emma woke up with a start. She had accidentally fallen asleep against a tree branch, even though she had adamantly refused to sleep the night before. The first signs of dawn were upon them – brightness creeping through the greenery of the tree leaves around them. She couldn't see much of the sky, but she believed that the sun was probably rising in the sky now. She could see grey clouds above, and realised there was a possibility it would rain. Mary Margaret was already awake, smiling across at her. Emma immediately felt parched, and plucked some leaves from the trees which had some early morning dew to drink.

"How long have you been awake?" Emma asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Awhile," Mary Margaret answered. "I thought I'd let you rest for a while longer, but since you're awake now, it's best we get moving."

Emma nodded and stood on the branch below, and slowly she and Mary Margaret climbed down two separate trees, landing on the soft earth below. The forest surrounding them was a mixture of green, red and brown, and it was mesmerising. It was as though if they stayed and watched the nature too long, they would be hypnotised and trapped. Emma held the wooden weapon she had created from the night before, wary of any animals that may exist and suddenly come out to attack them. She was just about to turn to Mary Margaret to ask what she thought about the direction they should head towards, when she heard a deep breathing sound from behind her, and felt the whoosh of air from its breath.

She instantly grasped Mary Margaret's arm, and very slowly turned her head, until her vision caught a glimpse of an enormous bird with giant sharp teeth and bright crimson skin. Its eyes were golden, and it snarled at them from behind, and Emma realised for the first time that its wings were surrounding them, almost entrapping them in its grasp.

_Run._

There was a tiny opening between the trees in front of them, and Emma signalled to Mary Margaret using her eyes to indicate their route of escape. She didn't know where she was running towards, and if there was further danger where she was planning to run to, but she had no choice. She had to survive, for Henry's sake and her family's sake. There was no way she would be eaten up alive by a monstrous flying creature, who obviously hid among the orangey red trees of the forest.

_One. Two. Three–_

Without looking back, Emma sprinted, Mary Margaret in parallel beside her. She wove through the trees, in and out, occasionally checking that her mother was keeping up with her. She could hear the breaking of branches behind them, and the loud squawks of the bird that was flapping its wings and somehow able to fly in between the trees to chase them. She came to the conclusion that losing the bird was going to be difficult – but she had no means to kill it.

_How on earth are we supposed to get rid of this man-eating bird?_

She gritted her teeth and kept running, Mary Margaret right behind her. She spied the sea ahead, and her heart sank. Out in the open, they were not going to have much chance against this creature, and they could drown, even – but she would take her chances.

They reached the edge of the grassy forest and leapt, falling fast enough for them to sink deep into the cold blue water before the bird could swoop down to catch them. Emma swam further, knowing that the bird could dip its beak down and pick them out just as easily. Mary Margaret followed, swimming to deeper waters until they were sure the bird was gone.

However, all of a sudden, Emma felt paralysed in the water. A figure swam past her, and before she could register what was happening, her hands were tied, and she couldn't swim. Then she was pulled inhumanly quickly through the seawater – someone or some_thing _was dragging her away. Mary Margaret was out of her sight, and she mouthed out "Mom!" in the water, but that only caused more water to enter her system.

Within seconds, she was thankfully thrust out of the water, clothes fully soaked. Her hands and legs were somehow tied together, and she was at least relieved to see that her mother was beside her, also coughing out salt water.

"WHO ARE YOU?" a crisp and very sharp female voice asked, and Emma looked up from her spewing out water from her lungs to see a very frightening face of a being that didn't look quite human, with almond eyes and dirty green hair spiked out in multiple directions. Her vision swept downward, and then she saw that this really wasn't a human at all – it was a mermaid – she had a long silver tail, and her entire body was covered in scales except for her arms, hands and shoulders. She had no idea if they were evil, but decided that she would be polite.

"Uh," Emma shivered slightly from the sudden cold. "My name is Emma. I'm a human."

"I can see that. I'm not stupid," the mermaid returned, her voice as chilly and cutting as before. "What reason do you have to be in Neverland? Humans don't usually come here unless they are looking for trouble or working for _him_."

Emma looked at the mermaid intensely. "I'm looking for someone. I don't mean any harm to you. My _son _is somewhere on this island and I need to rescue him."

The mermaid studied her carefully, revealing some sharp teeth. "Your _son? _You do not mean to say – your son – is he the one who is said to fulfil the prophecy?"

"What prophecy?" Emma asked, becoming very concerned. "What are you talking about?"

The mermaid became silent, then turned away. "I cannot speak of this. I will leave you be, but I cannot help you."

She was about to jump back into the water when Emma shouted at her. "WAIT! Please. I need some help to find him."

"You have no idea what you're in for," the mermaid snarled. "This has to do with the legend."

"What legend?!" Emma asked, desperation shown on her face.

"Please tell us," Mary Margaret spoke out, pleading.

"I see no reason why I should help you. I'm not even certain if your son is who I believe he is," the mermaid responded haughtily.

"You _can _be certain. If you know so much, then let me tell you – this is my mother, Snow White. _I am Emma Swan_, her _daughter_. And my son is Henry Mills, whose father is also known as _Baelfire_. Now I don't have the slightest idea what prophecy or legend you are talking about, but if you know anything, _anything _that can help me get my son back, for the love of all that is good in the universe, _tell me what you know_," she demanded.

The mermaid's black eyes widened at Emma's disclosure of her family's identity, and she seemed convinced. She rose out of the water and sat on a rock beside the one Emma was on, and narrowed her gaze.

"Be prepared, Emma Swan," the mermaid cautioned. "For you are asking for answers to questions that may not necessarily be comforting to you."

"Who cares about freaking _comfort_?" Emma spat. "Just tell us."

"The legend – is that to do with the jewel," the mermaid began, her voice low. "This jewel is said to be the most powerful ever to have existed in all the realms. The person who obtains it will have the opportunity to use it, just _once_, to fulfil whatever it is they desire or wish for. No one knows what it looks like or where to find it. But the prince of Neverland has been seeking it for as long as we can remember."

"What does this have to do with Henry?" Mary Margaret asked curiously.

"Part of the prophecy to do with the boy," the mermaid revealed. "Legend says that this jewel will only reveal itself once every millennium, to a specific young child born of magic. And it is said that this child is _your son_."

Emma swallowed hard. "Why has no one spoken of this jewel until now?"

"Because only those who have stepped foot in Neverland know about it. No person in any other realm has knowledge of this legend."

"Why not?" Mary Margaret questioned.

"It was simply kept a secret, something only some of us have merely heard whispers of. Also, the jewel is said to be hidden somewhere on this island," the mermaid finished.

"And only Henry can find it?" Emma asked.

The mermaid gave a curt nod. "So part of the prophecy says."

"And you say the _prince _of Neverland wants the jewel?" Emma repeated.

"Yes," the mermaid affirmed.

"And _who exactly _is the prince of Neverland?"

The mermaid's features visibly stiffened at this question, but she looked up sternly at Emma and Mary Margaret. "_Him_, of course."

"Him?" Emma asked again.

"_Peter Pan_," the mermaid whispered fiercely.

* * *

"There she is," Hook announced, feeling a million times better now that they had found his ship. There she was, the Jolly Roger, looking more beautiful to him than he thought possible. It didn't look as though anyone had found his ship before he and David did, which was incredibly fortunate indeed.

He and David climbed onto the deck, and quickly scrambled around for supplies. Hook tossed David a sword and a dagger, along with a belted pouch. He grabbed his trusty telescope and kept it with him in his satchel, but not before looking through it to scan the surrounding area of the Pirate's Cove.

Just as he peeked through the lens, a flash of a flying creature darted past him, and Hook looked up, wary and alert. "Hey man," Hook called out to David. "Halt it. There's someone around."

David stopped rummaging his sack containing the resources they needed and stood still, his blue irises skimming the deck of the Jolly Roger very carefully. Hook turned his head upwards, wondering what it was, or perhaps _who _it was.

He turned around, and just then the figure flew by again incredibly fast, and he caught sight of just a flicker of white sparks.

A fairy.

But most fairies would not reveal themselves, especially not in daylight. Since the last time he was in Neverland, he barely encountered even any good fairies anymore – he sincerely thought most of them had vanished to a different land or were simply killed.

"I know you're a fairy. Show yourself," Hook called out loudly, his hook poised to strike and his hand on his sword.

David looked around, saw the figure flash by, and shouted. "There it is!"

Hook turned but saw nothing. "Fairies are a tricky little thing. They enjoy playing games – at least, if they're not the bad ones."

"You know fairies?" David asked doubtfully, still in a defensive position.

"I knew one," Hook answered easily, his head and body continuously turning around. "But that was some time ago – she's probably gone."

"_No, she's not_," a smooth, female voice rung through the air, and Hook turned around to see a girl who was in her late teens, dressed in something of a leotard of a bronze colour, with punky black short hair dipped in maroon and golden highlights. She looked very much like a human, except she had shiny transparent wings fluttering from her back. Her chestnut eyes were focused on Hook, and when he _really _looked closely at her, he knew who she was.

"_Tink_," he uttered in disbelief, walking towards her. "It's you."

"Killian Jones," she responded boldly, her eyes noting the silver hook that replaced his left hand. "Or should I say, _Captain Hook?_"

"I thought you were dead or gone," he said in genuine surprise.

"I thought you were never coming back," she replied.

"What is going on?" David interjected, looking from the fairy to the pirate.

Hook looked at her and then at David, a knowing smile creeping onto his face.

_Things are looking up. Finally._

"This is my long lost friend," he smirked. "Meet _Tinkerbell_."

* * *

**Not a lot of Hook/Emma development in this one, but they'll get there, eventually – the ride there is what makes it worthwhile! You probably have even more questions after this chapter, but they will all be answered in time.**

**Please review. Cheers!**


	4. Discovery

**Sorry for the horribly delayed update for this chapter – I was away at camp and had some personal stuff to endure! Thank you for the wonderful feedback I received on the last chapter; hope you guys enjoy this update – and YAY all the awesome stuff from Comic Con, so much Captain Swan gold!**

* * *

_IV._

_Discovery_

He couldn't quite believe it. Yes, he had barely thought of his good friend in the past three hundred years because of his quest for revenge on Rumplestiltskin, but still, this was quite a turn of events. There was too much to think about in the second that he realised it was her, but more than anything he was grateful that somehow good fortune should favour him when he needed it. And well, it may have not been his _most _needy moment, but he was trying to come up with a plan to find Emma and Mary Margaret, and in his head there were no ideas except to dash headfirst into the forest of Neverland to find them.

More than that, he was actually glad he had _one _of his best friends back. She was his partner in crime; way back when all things were green and beautiful. She still looked pretty much the same as he remembered, bronze outfit and reddish highlights in her dark short hair, but if he was honest, she seemed stronger, more fearless than before. He could still remember his last moment seeing her, and he recalled how fragile she seemed then.

When he introduced his pixie-haired friend to David, he saw her lift an eyebrow, giving a contemplative look just the way he remembered. He grinned in return, glad that _someone _who knew Neverland was here to actually help – _if _she was really there to help, that was.

David stared at her, mouth slightly agape. It was as though he didn't quite believe that this was Tinkerbell, the fairy from the tales of Neverland, even though he was a man from some fantasy land himself.

"Tinkerbell," he voiced, more like stating it than greeting her. "_You're _Tinkerbell."

"Indeed I am," she returned, calm and observant. "You seem confused, dear Prince."

"How do you know who I am?" he asked, his guard still up.

She chuckled. "Give me some credit, James. I'm a fairy. We know of other people in other lands, even though we may not have met them personally before."

"You did always have such brilliant timing, Tink," Hook cut in, grinning. "We kind of need your help."

"Who said I'm here to help?" Tinkerbell instantly replied, flying between them to the other side of the ship. "I'm not about to align myself with trouble."

Hook rolled his eyes. "Trouble? Who says we're trouble? The last thing we're looking for is trouble."

Tinkerbell crossed her tanned arms and stared at him blatantly. "Have you _seen _yourself? Just you being here _is _trouble already."

"Then why did you show up? Why reveal yourself to us?" David pointed out.

Hook raised his hooked hand at that. "Exactly! Excellent point, my friend."

"I came here to warn you," Tinkerbell explained simply, her expression turning grim. "It's not going to be pretty. You should leave, for whatever reason you came back for – _if_ you can find a way out, that is."

"We wouldn't have come unless it was really important, obviously," David responded. "My grandson, Henry, is on the island. We need to save him."

"Oh really?" Tinkerbell questioned sceptically. "Maybe _you _do, but I had an impression Killian was here because of something else. Or should I say, _someone_."

Hook's head snapped up at her statement, and he eyed her closely. "What are you referring to? This is no time to play games, Tink. We _do _need to save the lad."

"Think deep inside your heart," Tinkerbell motioned, flying directly in front of Hook. "As great of a friend as I believe you are, you have never done anything like this before."

"Done what?" Hook asked again, preferring to play dumb, narrowing his eyes.

"_Helping_," Tinkerbell uttered. "Without any reward."

Hook was briefly silent in response, to which Tinkerbell took as a way to prod further.

"I know you, Killian," she voiced, maturity lining her tone and posture. It was certainly rather odd to see a young fairy acting much more knowledgeable than an older, dashing pirate. It would have been amusing for David if not for his mounting curiosity at the backstory for this exchange between the other two.

He looked back at her, looking somewhat defiant. "I know you're just helping – really, the boy isn't nothing much to you; there's no relation. But there's someone else you actually _feel _for – _she's _the reason why you're doing this."

_Right. Now I remember why I found her annoying before. She could freaking read my mind, all the time. And of course she would do this to me right now. _Internally, Hook was gritting his teeth in irritation at how his fluttery friend tended to be right about most things relating to him.

"Enough," Hook finally found the courage to speak. "Barely a few minutes and you're already doing this to me?"

She then actually smiled, genuinely this time. "You know I'm not going to let you off the hook – well, _literally _now that you have that – for what happened before," she said. "At the very least, from the look on your face, I know I'm right."

"Can we please stop this catch-up session now? You two can continue this _another _time. We need to find Mary Margaret, Emma and Henry and get out of here as soon as possible," David launched himself between them, determination etched on his face. "Are you going to help us or not, Tinkerbell?"

The winged girl considered it carefully before answering. "First, what _exactly _did you need help with?"

David looked at Hook. "We need to find my wife and my daughter first."

"What happened to looking for your grandson?" Tinkerbell asked.

"Four people are better than two," David replied curtly.

"Are you helping us, or not?" Hook repeated, realising how ironic it was that it was now him asking a similar question he was faced with just about twenty-four hours ago. "Anyway we're doing this with or without you, so…"

Tinkerbell landed in front of them and sat herself on the edge of the Jolly Roger. "Fine," she agreed with a heavy sigh. "I suppose this one-time thing shouldn't hurt; for old times' sake."

Hook grinned. " Hah! I knew–"

"But," she continued, softly. "You cannot depend on me. I can't do everything even though I still have magic. Things are different around here now. So I'll do what I can. But you can't expect me to do the impossible."

"But you can help us find them, right?" David asked, looking hopeful for a change.

She turned to the blond prince, her bold demeanour returning. "That I can."

* * *

Emma was exhausted. It felt like hours since she and Mary Margaret had been hiking around since the mermaid left them back at the Mermaid Lagoon. The two of them had been creeping around in the forest, but because they had to keep stopping to hide behind large boulders or trees to check for beasts or cruel men or danger of any sort, it became incredibly tiring to have to constantly feel like something or someone was going to swoop down and eat them alive or capture them.

It was enough that she was still thinking about Henry and how he was hopefully still on the island somewhere, and hopefully alive. She had courage to believe that he was a strong boy, and one strong and smart enough, but her motherly instincts kept kicking in and she couldn't help but worry that if she wasn't fast enough to find him, he would be lost to her forever. It was odd that it was her mother assuring her that Henry would be okay, when normally she was the one who would be calming her mother down about things.

In addition to the thousand things swimming in her head, the new information given to her by the mermaid was disturbing in itself. How on earth was _her son _the main object of some prophecy that just _had _to relate to the most magical jewel in all the universe? And on top of that, why on earth did _Peter Pan _have to be part of this unsettling plot to retrieve this jewel? Why was Pan after this jewel in the first place?

Mary Margaret could see the questions in Emma's head as though she was thinking out loud. She knew that her daughter's mind was reeling about a lot of things. It was tough, and she knew there was nothing much she could say that would make her feel any more comforted than she was before. So Mary Margaret stayed silent as they hiked through the forest, their bodies as low down as they possibly could. If anything, the danger lurking around them was the best distraction from the countless questions that were prodding Emma's mind.

It was still daylight, but Emma knew it was already afternoon. It felt as though time passed quicker than she expected here in Neverland – that the sunshine was cut short, and the night was longer. She honestly had no sense of time there; and after all it was a magical land – anything could happen that wasn't normal, and she knew that.

"We need to find the jewel," Emma suddenly spoke, her voice silencing the noise of the forest surrounding them. They were walking between enormous growths of what looked like giant mushrooms towering over them, and lots of fungi surrounded the rocks and plants in this portion of the forest.

She stopped when she spoke, and Mary Margaret walked in front of her and turned around to face her, eyebrows lifted and eyes filled with concern.

"We can't," Mary Margaret simply said. "The mermaid told us that only a child can find it, remember? And that child is Henry."

"What if it's not true? What if she was just saying a bunch of nonsense stories to fool us? How would we know otherwise?" Emma challenged.

Mary Margaret sighed. "We don't. There's no way," she admitted. "But I doubt that she would lie to us. She seemed pretty eager _not _to tell us any of this at the start, and she seemed to know who Baelfire was, who I am… She wouldn't make a story up just to get rid of us. You could see how serious she was."

"I know," Emma breathed heavily. "But it's nearly impossible to find Henry without anyone helping us! At this rate it'll either take us forever, or we'll be killed before we can go any further."

"There's nothing else we can do. We'll see if we meet anyone else who may be able to help us, perhaps," Mary Margaret said hopefully.

"I doubt there's anyone here that can help us," Emma muttered. "Unless by some miracle, Hook and David are able to find us, or we find them."

"I wish they were here too," Mary Margaret acknowledged, smiling sadly.

Emma looked at her mother, strength returning. "Let's hope they find us," she said. "Otherwise, we'll just have to find Henry on our own – just promise me you'll slap me across the face if I start complaining with worry again, okay?"

Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter, proud that she had her father's fighting spirit inside her. More than anything, it was in times like these that she knew Emma was her father's daughter, and she was grateful for her.

"I promise."

* * *

"Are we even going the right way?" Hook asked as he, David and Tinkerbell walked on foot in between large trees and a startling variety of plants and flowers growing everywhere.

"Do you not trust me?" Tinkerbell asked, leading the way in front of the two men. "I still know Neverland better than _you _do."

"Of course you do," Hook answered. "But that doesn't mean you're right."

"You haven't answered my question," Tinkerbell repeated. "Do you trust me?"

They kept on walking, David second in formation behind the fairy and in front of the pirate. Hook let silence float between them as he thought of his answer to the question.

"Yes," he eventually said. "I do trust you. But I'll still question your direction."

Tinkerbell looked back at him and gave him a wary look, then sighed and shook her head. "You haven't changed much."

"Oh really?" Hook asked. "I'd like to think I have; at least since the last time we spoke."

"How _is it _that you two know each other again?" David asked, butting into the conversation. "From what I was told of stories written about Neverland in _books, _you two are meant to be enemies."

Hook laughed. "The human world never gets our stories right. You should know that by now – but actually, scratch that. _No world _knows our actual story."

"I _do _know that," David flicked a look of annoyance at Hook. "I'm just curious as to how this friendship originally developed."

"It's too long of a story," Tinkerbell said. "It's a long way back. All you need to know for now is that I'm not a bad person, I'm your ally, and when I say I'll look out for you, I will do the best I can."

"And she's our friend. But honestly, Tink, why don't you fly?" Hook teased. "Trying to disguise yourself as one of us? It's not going to help because your wings are far too obvious."

Tink gave him the evil eye. "I _told you_," she responded evenly. "My magic is limited now. I can never fly for too long, or I feel drained. Like I said, things are not the same around here. It's not what you remember of Neverland."

"Well, at the moment we're just walking in plain sight and I don't see anyone attacking us with some dark magic or anything," David commented.

"That's only because I've cast some sort of shield around us," Tinkerbell said with confidence.

David and Hook looked at each other, then at the pixie-haired fairy striding in front of them. "A shield? What happened to limited magic?" Hook asked.

"It _is _limited," Tinkerbell stressed. "This shield will only last so long as we don't accidentally walk into an enemy's camp ourselves. There's loopholes in this. And it's not going to last forever. This shield can be penetrated."

"Where are we headed to, exactly?" David asked, realising that they were headed deeper into the forest, where the trees were denser, leaves bigger, and branches wider.

"Somewhere in the forest of Neverland," Tinkerbell answered. "There are many hidden places on the island, but your friends aren't far."

"They'd better not be," Hook mumbled lowly, brushing the leaves of the trees and plants away from his face. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Being in Neverland, and now with Tinkerbell, reminded him of a past he didn't quite want to reminisce about at that point. It wasn't so much that it was a horrid past; it was more that it reminded him of his mistakes and the things he could have easily done differently. So he focused his mind on their mission at hand, and tried his best not to think about his fairy friend's words regarding his heart and a certain blond-haired woman.

_Find them, get out. Chop, chop. No room for thinking about the past or the future. Forget it all._

Tinkerbell stopped in her tracks, David and Hook flanking her. They were in the middle of a clearing in the forest, and she heard what she recognised as footsteps that were not theirs.

"Stop," she voiced. "Just wait a moment."

"What?" David whispered. "Was that…"

"Someone," Hook finished. "Or some_thing_."

"Is it–"

But before David could finish, a thin rope was looped around his feet, and he was thrust to the ground very unexpectedly. Tinkerbell turned and instantly flew off the ground, but Hook was faster, and he launched himself in the direction of the attacker, who was supposedly hiding behind the tree that was right behind them.

He caught the arms of what felt like a human, and then fell to the ground together with the person, but he had soil thrown at him and he heard Tinkerbell shouting at him, telling him to stop fighting, and then he was lying on the earth, grass all around, and he finally rubbed the flecks of dirt from his eyes, and heard a familiar voice say his name.

"Hook?!" she let out breathlessly, seeing his form. "It's you!"

He saw it was her, and grinded his teeth in annoyance. "Swan. What on earth were you doing, throwing soil at me and attacking us?"

"I thought you were some magical creatures," she replied loudly, still on top of him. "You just changed your form!"

"What form? What are you talking about?"

"The shield causes us to look different to people who may come across us. It was meant to help us blend into the surroundings of Neverland as though we belong here," Tinkerbell interjected. "Well, I believe these are the people you were looking for?"

David dusted himself off the ground, turning to see Mary Margaret. "Snow," he called to her, and she ran into his arms, hugging him as tight as her strength would allow.

"You're here," she said, caressing his face lovingly.

"Now, are you going to let me sit up?" Hook asked, Emma still pinning him onto the earth beneath them.

"Oh," Emma said. "Yes, sorry." She stood, and the pirate captain stood up as well, rising to his full height in front of her.

"Well it's good to see you're all fine, Swan," he remarked.

Emma gazed at him, feeling hope rise in her spirit as she met his eyes. She looked away a moment too quick, but he knew she was relieved that he had found them.

"Never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see you too," she replied, sarcasm lining her voice.

He chuckled. "You know, you _can _admit that you missed me."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "It's only been two days."

"So? You wanted me around and you know it."

"I never said that."

"But you thought that, when we got separated."

"Well of course, you promised to–"

"Ah, see, so you did miss me–"

"–especially since we have no idea what to expect–"

"–so you did want me around with you–"

"YES, I DID!"

The sudden loud proclamation surprised even Emma herself as it escaped from her lips. She _wanted him around. _She did. And she just said it out, in a very loud voice, in front of David, Mary Margaret and this unknown girl with wings.

Hook gazed at her, eyes wide at her statement. His eyes softened then, and he met her stare with an emotion she couldn't quite identify.

"I did want you around," Emma repeated quietly this time. "But don't let it get into your head."

He smiled, brushing the edge of her jaw with his hand, as she briefly edged her head away in automatic reflex to his touch.

"Don't worry, darling," he said to her, winking. "It won't."

Emma was then introduced to the foxy fairy, and although apprehensive at the start, she was grateful that they had someone who could do magic on their side.

Hook looked to Tinkerbell and thanked her, but the fairy only smirked back, observing Emma in particular. She knew there was _something _between them, but she also knew the two of them refused to acknowledge the connection they had. So she kept silent, because she wasn't one to reveal any much more than what she should.

Emma looked at David and Mary Margaret, glad that they had all found each other and were back together in a group. They could work together to find Henry, and it would be alright.

At the very least, for now, there was hope.

* * *

**A lot of talking in this chapter. Hope it didn't bore you – our lovelies are back together! More stuff to be revealed next chapter. Review and let me know your thoughts? Cheers!**


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